Pick up and down on the sixth string, then do the same on the fifth string, the fourth string, and so on. As you feel comfortable, start moving this alternate picking pattern up and down the strings. Next, stroke up on the same string.Īt first, practice just alternating up and down strokes on your sixth string. Start with a down stroke on the sixth string, the uppermost thick string, on your guitar. Don’t worry about doing anything with your left hand at first and just focus on picking. To get started, hold your guitar pick in the proper position between your thumb and the side of your index finger. Use alternate picking technique when you practice scales, riffs, or solos as this technique will help you build speed and play single notes cleanly. Once you’ve mastered strumming all the strings of your guitar, focusing in on alternate picking technique will help you play notes on single strings quickly and fluidly. For example, punk music will typically use only quick down strums while an old country standard could be slow alternating up and down strokes.
You can try other rhythms or combinations like down-down-up-down to convey different feelings or evoke a genre.
Try alternating down and up strums to hear the difference between each type of strum. You can strum a chord from the top string down or the bottom string up. When you strum, you should feel a rotation in your wrist, rather than bending. Practice rotating your wrist like you are unscrewing a light bulb while keeping your wrist straight and your grip on your pick fairly loose and easy. Instead, let the movement come from your wrist. Don’t move your whole arm to strum your guitar. Now, use the pick to strum your guitar from the thickest string down. Don’t rest your hand on the guitar instead allow your hand to hover. Hold your picking hand over the sound hole on your acoustic guitar or over the body if you are playing electric.
#Guitar picks how to
Related: The Different Parts of Acoustic and Electric Guitars How to Strum Your Guitar This lets you get closer to your strings. If you need to pick for accuracy, allow a smaller tip of your pick to stick out. If you’ll be strumming your guitar, you might want to leave a slightly larger section of your pick exposed. You typically want to leave about a half inch of your pick sticking out from beneath your thumb. Your pick should be held under the center of your thumb. Keep a relaxed grip on your pick with the pointed end sticking out away from your hand. Slide your pick between your thumb and the middle of your index finger. Turn your hand so that your thumb is facing you. Next, form a loose fist with your thumb on the outside of your index finger. Before you pick up your pick, take a moment to shake out and relax your right hand. If you are right-handed, you will want to fret with your left hand and hold your pick in your right. You don’t want to run back to the store in a couple days because all your picks disappeared! How to Hold a Guitar Pick with Either Hand Always buy at least 10 guitar picks when you visit the music shop. You might also want to choose guitar picks in bright colors so they are easy to spot in case you drop one.
#Guitar picks pro
Pro tip: when you’re buying guitar picks, buy in bulk! For whatever reason, guitar picks will get lost the instant you set them down. Heavy weight picks are great if you are playing lots of leads on an electric guitar. If you’re working on picking scales and basic riffs, a medium weight pick should suit you just fine. If you’re an absolute beginner, you might want to try a few different picks before you settle on what feels best for you.īeginners typically prefer lighter weight picks for strumming. There are also many brands to choose from. How should you pick a pick? Well, guitar picks come in varying thicknesses or weights. To get started, you’ll want to make sure you have the right guitar pick on hand. Plus, once you master your guitar picking posture, it will be easier to learn more techniques down the road. Luckily for you, learning how to hold a guitar pick the right way is easy. Hold your pick too loosely however, and it could fly out of your hand! Grip too hard or in the wrong position, and you could wind up tense, in pain, and with a bad sound. For a beginning guitarist, the proper pick-hold is one of the most important things to master right off the bat.